Machine for stringing tobacco-leaves.



J. MERRITT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912. 1,076,902. Patented 0011.28, 1913.

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MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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J. MERRITT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBAOGO. LEAVES. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

1,076,902. Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

1,076,902. I Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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COLUMBIA I'LANDGRAPH CO..WASNINOTON. b. c.

J. MERRITT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

1,076,902. Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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COLUMRXA PLANOGRAIH CLLJVASHINOTON. u. c.

J. MERRITT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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J. MERRITT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912.

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MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO LEAVES.

, APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1912. 1,076,902.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MERRITT, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ERNESTWALKER SlVII'lI-I, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR STRINGING TOBACCO-LEAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 23, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913. Serial No. 685,702.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH Mnnnrrr, a citizenof the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartfordand State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMachines for Stringing Tobacco-Leaves, of which the following is aspecification.

lit is a common practice to pick prime tobacco leaves from plants raisedin the open, and also to strip leaves from shade grown plants and attachthem to lath in order that they may be hung in the drying shed forcuring.

This invention relates to a machine for fastening picked tobacco leavesto strings or wires attached to the supporting lath.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple andeasily operated machine which is so constructed that tobacco leaves canbe very rapidly fastened to the lath strings in a desirable manner.

The machine illustrated as embodying the invention is designed to bedriven by power, and the mechanisms are set in operation for fasteningthe stems of the leaves to the string o-r'wire by the act of putting theleaf stems into proper position, so that the leaves will be securelyfastened as rapidly as an operator can pick up and present them to themachine. Each time the mechanisms are actuated a staple is driven overthe string or wire into a leaf stem. The staples which are used may havetheir ends barbed in any desired manner, but preferably by merelyturning back the tips, and they are so shaped and manipulated that whendriven into the leaf stems they will spring open and the barbs be forcedbehind fibers of the stems that have not been cut by the act ofinserting the staples. These staples may be formed to the desired shapefrom a coil of wire by mechanism attached to this machine, or they maybe made in a separate machine and supplied from a magazine to thismachine, which will drive them over a wire or a string, which may or maynot be waxed and knotted, into the leaf stems as they are presented.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of the machine. Fig.2 shows a front view. Fig. 3 shows an elevation looking at the righthand side of the machine with the staple feed bar and its supportremoved. Fig. 4 is on larger scale a vertical section taken. on theplane indicated by the dotted line %4 on Fig. 1 and looking toward therear. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation, looking toward the lefthand side of the machine. plan view of the starting mechanism ready tooperate. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the starting mechanism shown inFig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan of the starting mechanism set in operation.Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the starting parts in the positionsoccupied in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 shows a side view of the stapling mechanismwith the driver in its highest position. Fig. 11 is a similar viewshowing the parts in the positions occupied when the staple is about tobe driven into the stem of a tobacco leaf. Fig. 12 is a similar viewwith the parts in the positions occupied when the staple is coinpletelydriven into the leaf stem. F 13 shows a front view of the starter andadjacent parts. Fig. 14 is a developed section of parts in the positionsshown in Fig. 10. Fig. 15 is a similar view of the same parts insubstantially the same positions as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 16 is askeleton plan of the operating mechanisms. Fig. 17 is a front view ofthe parts shown in Fig. .16. And Fig. 18 is a skeleton sine view ofthese parts.

The staples 1 are brought to the machine illustrated, on a magazine-bar2, down which. they slide onto the inclined feed-bar 3. The slottedlower end of the magazine-bar is detachably connected with the bracket lby a stud (Fig. 2). The upper end of the magazine-bar is retained by apin 6 that is thrust inward by a spring 7 which is located in a pocketat the upper end of the bracket 8. (Fig. 1).

The staples slide by gravity down the feed-bar, the lower end of whichis slightly turned, and one by one pass from it into the rec ss 9 in theface of the guideplate .10. l 1()). llfiovable in a curved groove 11 inthis guule-plate, which 1s fastened to the machine frame, 18 anarc-shaped driver 19. The recess into wlnch the staples drop one by one18 an enlargement of a portion of this curved groove in the guide-plate.in

which the curved driver travels. This driver, which is a piece of thinmetal that has its driving end shaped to fit the rounded end of thestaple, is fastened to the end of a rocker-arm 13 that is attached to ashaft Fig. 6 shows a CIT liiil 14. (Figs. 11, 17, 18). On the face ofthe guide-plate and over the groove and driver is a cover plate 15.(Figs. 10, 14). Then the machine is in operation, this rockerarmoscillates the driver in the curved groove in the guide-plate, andcauses it to force the staples from the staple recess, into which theydrop from the feed-bar, through the guide groove and into the tobaccostem 16 that is held in front of it by the thumb 17 of the operator.(Figs. 10,,11, 12). It will be noted from an examination of thesefigures that the recess into which the staple drops from the feed-bar iswider than is the guide groove below the recess, so that the staple whenpushed by the driver along the groove is contracted, but that after itis driven into the stem, it expands so that the barbed ends are widerthan the incision opening into the stem and cannot pull out. (Fig. 12).

The starting device or swinging trigger 18 is keyed on a rotatable shaft19. The lower end of the trigger has mouth plates 20, the openingbetween which coincides with the opening in the end of the stapleguiding groove when the trigger is pushed back. Above and below thismouth these plates have pointed lips 21 which press into the surface ofthe leaf stem, and above the mouth is a finger 22 which acts as a gagefor the upper end of the stem. (Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13). The lips 21 pressinto the leaf stem and hold the ends of the staple contracted untilafter the barbs are forced into the stem below the surface. hus thebarbs spring out back of uncut fibers of the stems. (Figs. 11, 12). Onthe front of the starting trigger at one side of the mouth is a stringguiding arm 23. (Figs. 2, 7, 13, 14). Loosely mounted on the triggershaft is a latch 24 with a hooked end. The hook of this latch isnormally engaged with a stud 25 projecting from the back of the rockingdriver carrying arm. Fixed on the trigger shaft is an angle lever 26.The lower arm of this lever has a stud 27 that projects beneath hetrigger. A stud 28 projecting from the upper arm of this lever isconnected by a spring 29 with a stud 30 that projects from the latch.(Figs. 6, 7). A spring 31 is connected between the stud 32 that projectsfrom the arm 36 on the driver rock shaft 14 and the stud 33 thatprojects from the machine frame, in such manner as to tend to swing thedriver downward. (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 7). When the trigger is pushed back bythe application to its front face of the stern of a tobacco leaf, it isswung from the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7 to the positions shownin Figs. 8 and 9. This movement of the trigger turns the trigger shaftand rocks the angle lever so that the pin carried by that lever liftsthe latch from engagement with the holding stud on the back of thedriver carrying arm. hen

this arm is released the spring 31 rocks the shaft and causes the driverto swing down from the position shown in Fig. 10 t the position. shownin Fig. 12 and force a staple from the recess, through the guidinggroove and out of the mouth of the trigger into the leaf stein that isbeing pressed against the trigger. The loose string 34 which has itsends fastened to the ends of the lath 35 is held by the guiding arm 23on the trigger across the mouth in such position that the ends of thestaple straddle it when they pass from the mouth into the leaf stem, andthus the leaves are securely fastened to the string.

When the pressure against the leaf stem is removed and the triggerswings out under the influence of its sprin the angle lever is moved sothat the spring w iich connects it with the latch causes the latch toswing down to the position shown in Fig. 7.

On the end of the shaft 14 opposite from the driver rocker arm is an arm36. Vhen the mechanisms are set in motion this arm is engaged by the arm37 on the shaft 38. This lifts the arm 37 and rocks the shaft 14 so asto lift the driver and return the catch stud 25 on the driver rocker arminto engagement with the hook of the latch 24. (Figs. 6, 7, 17, 18). Thestring is guided in front of the staple month by the string guiding arm23, and it is supported at the side of the trigger by the arm 39 that ismounted on a shaft 40. (Figs. 8, 9). On the other end of this shaft is apinion 41 that is engaged by a gear This gear, which is supported by abracket 43 on the frame is engaged by a rack 44 on a slide 45 which isdrawn back by a spring 46, and at the proper time is pushed forward by acam 47 on a disk 48 that is mounted on the shaft 38. The cam and rackoscillate the gear and pinion so as to turn the spring supporting armdown out of the path of the string and leaf after the leaf has beenattached to the string. (Figs. 5, 16, 17, 18.) This string supportingarm also acts as a guide for directing the stem to its proper positionwhen it is placed against the front of the trigger. The hub of this arm39 is cam shaped so that when the arm swings down out of the way, itwill push the string forward and carry the leaf away from the front ofthe frame in order that these may feed freely.

The lath 3?) is supported on rolls 49 arranged near opposite sides ofthe machine. (Figs. 1, 2 3). Near the center of the machine is the lathfeeding roll 50, above which on a lever 51 is a guiding roll that. isnormally drawn down by a spring 53. Fig. 2). This lever is tilted up andthe guiding roll raised when the lath is put into the machine. The lathfeeding roll, which desirably has its periphery roughened to insuretrigger.

the movements of the lath, is fixed on a shaft 54- on the other end ofwhich is a pinion 55. Meshing with this pinion is a gear 56. This gearis fastened to a ratchet wheel 57, and both the gear and wheel are looseon the shaft 58. Fastened to the shaft 58 is an arm which bears a pawl60 that is normally held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel by a spring 61. Fixed on the end of the shaft 58 opposite from thepawl arm is a crank arm 62, adj ustably connected with which is aneccentric rod 63 that is reciprocated by the eccentric 64; on the shaft88. This eccentric and eccentric rod oscillate the crank arm, andthrough the pawl and ratchet wheel rotate the lath feeding roll and feedthe lath a distance, depending on the adjustment of the eccentric rodwith the crank arm. (Figs. 4, 16, 17, 18).

The mechanisms described operate intermittently, being actuated when thetrigger is pushed back by the act of placing a leaf in position to bestapled to the string. The driving mechanism operates continuously, andis connected with the feeding and stapling mechanisms when the triggeris pushed back. The continuously running driving pulley (35 is on ashaft (56 that has a worm 67. This worm engages a worm wheel 68 011 ashaft (it), fixed to which is a ratchet wheel 70. (Figs. 1, 3, l, 16,18). On the end of the shaft 19 opposite from the end to which thetrigger is attached, an arm 71 is fastened. This arm is connected with alever 72 by a bar 73. On the lower end of this lever is a latch lug 74that normally engages the arm 75 of the latch hook '26, which isfastened to the cam disk 4:8 which is fixed on the shaft 38. (Figs. 1,2, 3, 4-, 5). This latch lug normally engages the arm and holds thelatch hook away from the ratchet wheel on the worm wheel shaft that isrotated continuously. (Fig. l). "When the trigger is pushed back, theseconnections move the latch lug 74: out of engagement with the arm T5 andallow the spring 77 to pull the latch hook into engagement with a toothof the continuously rotating ratchet wheel 70. This connects the partsand sets the feeding and stapling mechanisms into operation. (Figs. 1.6,l7, 18). A spring '78 connected between the frame and the lever 72 pullsback the lever and re turns the latch lug into the path of the latcharm, and also causes the trigger to swing out when the pressure isremoved from the (Figs. 1, 3, 5). The latch lug 74: is swung back intothe path of the latch arm so that when the disk completes itsrevolution, the arm will engage the lug and the latch hook will bewithdrawn from the tooth of the ratchet wheel that is fixed to the wormwheel shaft. (Fig. l). In the pe riphery of the cam disk 48 fixed on theshaft 38 is a notch 79. A dog 80 which is pivoted to the frame of themachine and is held by the spring 81 against the periphery of the camdisk, enters this notch and stops the parts at the proper moment so thatthey will be ready to operate the next time a leaf is presented to thetrigger. (Figs. 4, 5).

A lath with a string attached so as to be more or less loose between theends of the lath, is placed in the machine with the string runningthrough the guide on the trigger and above the string support adjacentto the trigger. The driving pulley, worm wheel and ratchet wheel on theworm wheel shaft are continuously rotated. The act of placing a leafstem in front of the trigger and pushing it back causes the release ofthe (l1'i\'e1'-l1ol(ling-latch so that the driver will force a staplethrough the guide plate and out of the mouth into the leaf stem inwhich, as described, the staple expands so that the barbs or bent endswill project back of portions of the stem that have not been cut orbroken by reason of the insertion of the staple. This backward movementof the trigger also causes the clutch-latch to enthe continuouslyrotated driving ratchet wheel and set into action the ratchet and pawlmechanism which feeds the lath, the mechanism which gets the stringsupport out of the way so that the leaf and string may he fed, and themechanisms which re set the parts for the next operation. After eachrevolution of the driving shaft the clutch latch is disconnected, andthe feed mechanisms remain stationary with the parts set for anothermovement at the time the next leaf is presented to the trigger. Thesemechanisms are operatedin this way very fast, so that leaves may beattached to the lath strings as rapidly as they can by the operator bepicked up and placed against the trigger. As a result of the method ofdriw ing the staples, that is, compressing them in the guide and holdingthem together as they pass through the mouth and then allowing them toexpand after they have been driven into the leaf stems, it isunnecessary to pro-- vide means, such as an anvil, for causing the endsof the staples to be turned over and clenched on the backs of the stemsfor the iiurpose of securely fastening them.

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, means fordriving a staple over the string into the tobacco, mechanism foroperating the driver, and means for setting into operation the feedingmechanism and driver operating meclninlsm when the tobacco is pre sentedto the staple driver.

2. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for intern'iittently feeding the string, means fordriving a staple over the string into the tobacco, mechanism foroperating the driver, continuously driven mechanism, and means forconnecting the continuously driven mechanism with the feeding and stapledriving mechanism When the tobacco is presented to the staple driver.

3. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the strin and meansactuated by the presentation of the tobacco for setting into operationthe feeding mechanism.

4. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for driving a staple,mechanism for operating the driver, and means actuated by thepresentation of the tobacco for setting into operation the driveroperating mechanism.

5. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting a lathand string, mechanism for intermittently feeding the lath, mechanism fordriving a staple over the string into the tobacco, mechanism foroperating the driver, and means actuated by the presentation of thetobacco for setting into operation the lath feeding mechanism and driveroperating mechanism.

6. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, a staple guideshaped to contract the staple as it is forced therethrough, a driver forforcing the staples through the guide and over the string into thetobacco, mechanism for operating the driver, and means for setting intooperation the feeding mechanism and driver operating mechanism when thetobacco is presented to the staple driver.

7. A machine for stringing tobacco, hav ing means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, a staple guideshaped to contract the'staple as it is forced therethrough, means fordriving a staple through the guide and over the string and into thetobacco, and mechanism for operating the driver.

8. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a staple guide shaped tocontract a staple as it is forced theretl'irough, means for driving thestaple through the guide and into the tobacco, and mechanism foroperating the driver.

9. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a staple guide shaped tocontract the staple as it is forced therethrough, and means for drivinga staple through the guide and into the tobacco.

10. A machine for stringing tobacco, having normally stationary feedmechanism and staple driving mechanism, continuously runing operatingmechanism, and mechanism for connecting the continuously runningoperating mechanism with the normally stationary feed and staple drivingmechanisms, said mechanism being actuated to connect said mechanisms foractuating the feed and staple driving mechanisms by the actof presenting the tobacco to the machine.

11. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, means fordriving a staple over the string into the tobacco, mechanism foroperating the driver, and a trigger adapted to be moved by the act ofpressing tobacco against it for setting into operation the feedingmechanism and driver operating mechanism.

12. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for driving a staple,mechanism for operating the driver, and a trigger adapted to be moved bythe act of pressing the tobacco against it for setting into operationthe driver operating mechanism.

13. A machine for stringing tobacco, hav ing means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, a triggeradapted to be moved by the act of pressing tobacco against it forsetting into operation the feeding mechanism.

14. A machine for stringing tobacco, having continuously runningoperating mechanism, means for supporting a lath, adjustable mechanismfor feeding the lath, a trigger, and mechanism operated by a movement ofthe trigger for connecting the continuously running operating mec ianismWith the mechanism for feeding the lath.

15. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a continuously runningoperating mechanism, an oscillatory staple driver, a movable trigger,and mechanism actuated by a movement of the trigger for connecting theoperating mechanism with the mechanism which oscillates the driver.

16. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a staple guide-plate, saidguide-plate having a recess for receiving staples and a guiding grooveshaped to contract the staples as they are forced therethrough, andmeans for forcing the staples through the guiding groove and outtherefrom.

1. A machine for stringing tobacco, hav ing means for supporting astring, mechanism for intermittently feeding the string, means fordriving a staple over the string into the tobacco, mechanism foroperating the driver, a movable trigger having an opening through whichthe staple is forced by the driver, and means actuated by a movement ofthe trigger for setting in operation the driving mechanism.

18. A machine for stringing tobacco, having continuously runningoperating means, string feeding mechanism, staple driving mechanism, andmechanism adapted to intermittently connect the continuously runningoperating mechanism with the feeding mechanism and driver mechanism.

19. A guide-plate for a tobacco stringing machine having a staple recessand a guiding groove leading therefrom, said groove being adapted tocontract the staples as they are pushed from the recess through thegroove, and means for driving the staples from the recess through saidguiding groove.

20. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for supporting astring, mechanism for feeding the string, means for driving a stapleover the string into the tobacco mechanism for operating the driver, and

means for setting into operation the driver operating mechanism when thetobacco is presented to the staple driver.

21. A machine for stringing tobacco, havinn' means for supporting astring, mechanism for feeding the string, means for driving a stapleover the string into the tobacco, mechanism for operating the driver,con tinuously driven mechanism, and means for connecting thecontinuously driven mechanism with the staple driving mechanism When thetobacco is presented to the staple driver.

22. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a staple guide, means forforcing a staple through the guide, and means for holding the staplecontracted until the ends are driven Within the tobacco below theexterior surface.

23. A machine for stringing tobacco, having a staple guide shaped tocontract a staple as it is forced therethrough, means for driving astaple through the guide and into the tobacco, and means for holding thestaple contracted until the ends are driven Within the tobacco below theexterior surface.

2%. A machine for stringing tobacco, having means for driving a staple,mechanism for operating the driver, a trigger adapted to be moved by theact of pressing the to bacco against it, for setting into operation thedriver operating mechanism, and means carried by the trigger and adaptedto project into the tobacco and hold the staples contracted until theends are driven below the exterior surface of the tobacco.

JOSEPH MERRITT.

Vl itnesses E. H. LORENZ, "W. H. Lm'roN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing; the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). U.

